2010-11 GIRLS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ciera Abundez, Lely

Lely High School's Ciera Abundez is the Naples Daily News' 2011 Girls Soccer Player of the Year. David Albers/Staff

Lely High School's Ciera Abundez is the Naples Daily News' 2011 Girls Soccer Player of the Year. David Albers/Staff

NAPLES - When asked about the numbers that she put up in the 2010-11 season, Ciera Abundez racked her brain.

"I think I had 19 goals and about seven assists," she said.

Even when her mother spoke up and insisted that she scored well into the 30s, Abundez wanted to make it clear that she wasn't close to that total.

Mark Lopez, who coached Abundez last season as Lely fought its way to just its second district championship appearance in school history, confirmed that his star player did much better than she gave herself credit for.

"She had 37 goals and 17 assists," he said. "Obviously, she brought a lot of scoring to the team this season and was double-teamed a lot, so when she wasn't scoring, she pulled the defense out to find someone that could."

It's not as though Abundez didn't care about how she did — it's quite the opposite. Abundez's passion for the game is obvious, it's just that she's not focused on how she plays so much as she is on getting to play at all.

Her experience playing club soccer isn't as expansive as many of the other top players in the area, but her touch on the ball and ability to push the tempo of the game up the field is clear.

In this year's inaugural Collier County Senior Bowl soccer games, she played in both the boys and girls matches, and not only was the only girl to play with the boys, but more than held her own against some of the area's top male players.

When it comes to what's next for her and soccer, she lights up when talking about committing to play at NAIA Webber International next year.

"My mentality when I play just comes from me wanting to be my best," she said. "I know I play rougher against the guys than I do the girls, but I am going to play less like that and work on being more aggressive on the ball when I get to Webber."

Although Lely lost in the regional quarterfinals this season to Cape Coral-Baker, Abundez was still the biggest part on one of the best teams in the school's history. Now she's hoping that she can continue improving with a program that won a United States Collegiate Athletics Association national championship in 2006.

"I think that we're going to do well. We have a good team and I hope we go far," she said. "Things are going to be harder I'm sure, but I can take that and show them what I'm about."